Main Entry: writerheadPronunciation: \ˈrī-tər-hed\Function: nounFirst Known Use: circa 1995
1 : a (usually) temporary state of dreamy concentration and fluctuating consciousness during which a writer feels most creative, productive, and artistic < upon waking in the morning, rolling out of bed, gently shushing one’s husband, and settling in at one’s desk: “Sssshhhh, I’m in writerhead” – Kristin Bair O’Keeffe >

Monthly Archives: March 2014

This is it, folks! The big launch party for THE ART OF FLOATING. Tonight. Friday, March 28, at 7pm. At Jabberwocky Bookshop in Newburyport, MA. Right in the town where the novel takes place.

Yep, I know that the book doesn’t officially release until April 1, but Penguin/Berkley has graciously given permission for Jabberwocky to sell copies at the event. Huzzah!

I hope to see all of you there! Yes, all of you!

And if you are inclined to buy a copy of THE ART OF FLOATING and read it, I’ll be eternally grateful. This is what it’s about really…when the story I imagined and saw in my head and spent years putting on the page reaches readers. Reaches you.

Folks, you’ve got just 12 hours left to enter the giveaway at Goodreads for THE ART OF FLOATING! Penguin is giving away 10 copies (10!), and so far 507 folks have entered! You could win…and isn’t it awesome to win stuff…especially kick-ass books?

When you’ve got a book coming out (like my new novel THE ART OF FLOATING), you need to, want to, have to share a lot all the time. In essence, you wear a bell around your neck, ringing almost constantly so that people—hopefully ALL PEOPLE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD AND THE WORLDS ON OTHER PLANETS THAT WE HAVE NOT DISCOVERED YET—ask, “What’s with the bell?” so that you can answer, “Oh, that ole thing. That’s a just a reminder that YOU SHOULD BUY MY BOOK!”

But today, a break. Instead, a funny story about my daughter and writing…

A few days ago, my six-year-old daughter was so mad-mad-mad that I made her get out of bed for school that she said to me, “I’m going to take you to Africa and leave you with a herd of hippos! They’ll nudge you and bump you and push you around.” (gotta love the threats of a writer’s kid…)

Later that night while sleeping (during the few hours of each day that I get to remove the bell and stop yelling YOU SHOULD BUY MY BOOK!) I dreamed that I was driving inside my office at my day job in an “inside car” & what do I meet in the hallway? A red-and-black spotted HIPPO. The windows are down in my “inside car,” and every time I reach for the button to put them up to protect myself from the crazy hippo, it sticks its head into the car and bites my hand. (gotta love a writer’s dreams instigated by a writer’s kid…)

Tomorrow? Back to our regularly scheduled programming (aka YOU SHOULD BUY MY BOOK)!

Back in January, during Kathryn Craft’s launch party on Facebook, Wendy Paine Miller won an ARC of THE ART OF FLOATING. A few days ago, after reading the book, she messaged me on Twitter. Here’s what she said:

“Finished your book tonight. I loved it! I’m really going to miss Sia! We have a lot in common…. Seriously am going to be wondering about Sia, Toad, M, Jilly…the whole crew years from now.”

Whew! Music to this author’s ears. It’s always great to get a positive review from one of the wonderful review publications out there, but it’s extra special when a review comes from a reader.